Trying to install Hardware/software that requires one IRQ in the set
of 11 though 15. From the Device Manager, all IRQs in that range are
used, except 15, which reports "IRQ holder for PCI steering" The new
program refuses to install, claiming all IRQs are in use.

I did try to delete the "Holding" entry, but Windows complained, and
when I said "OK" to the "confirm delete," it crashed. (Nobody? has
ever has Win95 crash on them?) On reboot, the "Holding" is still
there, so it did not remove it.

I note that IRQ 10 is also marked for hold, but that did not seem to
prevent Sound Blaster from using it. So the "Hold" does not seem to
be absolute. I don't know what it does, nor why.

Additional Info. Had a boot disk crash. Replaced and reinstalled
Win95 et al. Prior to the crash, the hardware in question (FAST) was
working and using IRQ 15. Somehow, when I reloaded Win95, it has
blocked IRQ15, for what, and why, I have no idea.

For those who leap to the obvious, no I cannot use a Win upgrade. The
FAST board is a sort of parallel computer of its own running a whole
bunch of equipment and uses Win95 for I/O. Its programming has never
been updated for later versions of Windows, and the software
(purchased by Pinnacle) is no longer supported.

Bottom line, we have make Win95 work.

<ghigley@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:br7gt1pu27cjucks5tjoj9afuqmrdqcepb@4ax.com...
Can you reassign any of those (11-15) in the BIOS?

Before the crash was there any sort of real mode driver in config.sys or
autoexec.bat for the device?

The holding entry can share an interrupt, provided the other device(s) can
also share.

I presume this new device you are adding cannot share the interrupt. This
sounds odd, as devices that require an interrupt to be in this range usually
support sharing the interrupt. It would be a tough requirement for most
systems to find a dedicated IRQ from such a small range. Are you quite
sure that the installation failure is because it requires an IRQ all to
itself?

You should access BIOS setup and change the range for PCI IRQs to exclude
the interrupt you want to use for this device. This will force the PCI
devices to select from the smaller range (it will also force them to share)
and leave your selected IRQ available for the new device.

The holding is a dummy device that is inserted to prevented IRQ usage from
getting reorganised when devices are plugged and unplugged - it's a sort of
placeholder.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
<ghigley@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:br7gt1pu27cjucks5tjoj9afuqmrdqcepb@4ax.com...

"Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in message
news:uEZ7UcmIGHA.3856@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
if you are not using the second IDE channel ..you can disable it to free IRQ
15